Ah! The Goddess and Her Marine
by freeauthor1
Summary: When Captain Daniel Aldeen, a dedicated special forces Marine, watches as all his men die on a mission to rescue 3 Goddesses, how will he react? When he is pulled from what he knows, and told that he is some form of powerful being called a "Hidden One", how will he feel? Will he accept the love of the Goddess Belldandy, as she falls for the Marine, or deny it? Dis-continued
1. Chapter 1 - Horrors of War

**A/N: I'm a big fan of the anime, but something has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. I have an OC, Daniel "Danny" James Aldeen, who I apply to some Animes and Games and evaluate how much more DIFFERENT events could've played out. This, however, is the first instance that I've felt compelled to write about. It may not be outstanding, great or even good, but I want to write it and so I shall. This is the tale of two lovers, but not quite the tale you know. After all, the life of a Marine isn't an easy one *hint hint*. Regardless of your inclinations towards my idea, I hope you enjoy this story, of a Marine and his Goddess.**

**Chapter One: Horror**

"Captain, we need to get moving." The voice of his second in command drifted into Captain Daniel Aldeen's ears, rousing him from his musings. The Captain stood up and released a long groan as his joints popped in the aftermath of an hour spent sitting in thought. The Marine brushed the dust off his shoulder patch, which identified him as the commander of the 1st Marine Force Recon Company. With a yawn, Danny turned to face his XO, First Lieutenant Kelly Blanton, and spoke.

"We've got the orders, eh Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir, we're being sent to perform a civilian extraction."

"Civvie extract? Really? The brass must really think highly of them."

"Actually, sir, this mission isn't from the big brass, it's from the Colonel."

"Really? He's never issued a mission without being told to."

"I know sir, but now he has."

"Well, let's get to it then."

With that, the Captain and the platoon chosen to perform this mission loaded into a convoy of 5 Humvees. The vehicles began to drive and, much to the Captain's chagrin, turned off the road's very quickly. When the driver was asked why he was doing so, the only reply given was that the coordinates provided were 15 miles away, and staying on the roads would only prolong the journey. The sun, which had been setting even as the Captain had been roused, had descended below the horizon leaving the Marines in darkness.

When the vehicles stoppped, the men were surprised by what they were faced with. They found 12 men standing in a semi-circle around 2 women and a smaller child, also female, who were lying on the ground with their hands and feet bound and their mouths gagged. The men had AK-47 assault rifles, so the Marines treated them with immense caution. The 36 marines of the Platoon spread out around the men, and Captain Aldeen called "Drop your weapons!" The men turned to the Marines, with strangely hollow looks in their eyes, and seemed to almost emenate evil. Seemingly from nowhere, a 4th woman emerged from behind the men.

Heavy clothing covered all her features, with the compensations made in the chest area of her shirt being the only indication it was even a female. At that point, a distinctly female voice called out "Heaven's puppet sent MORTALS to stop me? I suppose they truly are desperate. Anyhow, I suppose those un-fortunate enough to attempt a contract with me can handle you." She then turned to the 12 and said simply "Kill them."

Instantly, the men were firing, and so were the Marines. These men didn't seem fazed when bullets tore through legs or stomachs, and kept firing. The Captain, however, didn't bother to test their immunity to pain as he ordered head-shots be delivered. By the time this order had been given, 6 Marines lay dead. The woman now seemed annoyed as she sighed, saying "I suppose I'll have to kill you all myself then!"

She turned and faced the Marines, whose rifles were all aimed at her. In a flash, however, dark balls of some unknown energy were racing from her hands and connecting with Marines, exploding in a ball of fire. The Marines opened fire, but the woman seemed completely un-affected, with the only visual change being her clothing being shredded, revealing her to be of dark complexion, and white hair flowed through holes in the hood that had covered her head.

Soon, all the Marines were dead, except for two. One of whom was Captain Daniel Aldeen, the other was a young 21 year old Staff Sergeant, the Captain's younger brother Kevin Aldeen. The woman smiled and said tauntingly "Oh look, a Captain who couldn't save his Marines, let's see if you can save your pathetic brother." With that, she raised her hand, and a bolt of dark lightning raced out, electrifying young Kevin. His screams filled the air, and filled Daniel with rage. Daniel drew the M9 strapped to his hip and fired, and she responded by simply hurling him aside with a flick of her wrist.

Landing next to the tied up women, Daniel felt pain roll through him, both physical and emotional as his brother was shocked until he collapsed, almost dead and clutching his S.A.W as a lifeline. The woman then turned to Daniel and the women, then began to walk slowly forward. Daniel felt a faint tickle on his shoulder and glanced over, to find one of the women had set her bound hands on his shoulder. Seeing it as nothing more than a helpless gesture of comfort, Daniel didn't react even when he felt the other two also lay their hands on him.

It was at that moment, that the Captain felt something within him change ever so slightly. He wasn't in pain any longer, in fact he felt better than he ever had before. Glancing down, he found himself glowing with a faint light, while a light murmuring could be heard through each girl's gag. Standing up, Jack turned to the woman who had killed his Marines, and drew the second M9 attached to his thigh. The weapon also glowed with a faint light, and the woman paused

"Hmm...could it be? A hidden one? Interesting."

Beyond this, she wasn't given the chance to speak as Daniel fired. Unlike before, however, these bullets seemed to hurt her, as they slammed through her lower abdomen, knocking her to the ground and causing her pain. She was soon standing again however, and hurled him next to his dying brother.

"Hidden one or not, I still have the power to kill you before you can banish me!"

Shakily, Daniel got to his feet as lightning just like that which struck his brother struck him. Pain coursed through him, and he felt his body taking immense damage. It seemed that Daniel was doomed, but his brother had different ideas.

"Cap...tain."

Kevin groaned weakly and, with the last of his strength, tossed the S.A.W to Danny. Seizing the gun, Danny aimed at the hip and did what Marines were trained to do. He squeezed the trigger, and watched as bullets flew out rapid fire at the woman. Just as before, they struck home and began to do damage. By the time the clip emptied, the woman had dropped and stopped moving, before her body simply vanished. When Daniel dropped the S.A.W, it became clear his brother was dead.

As tears rolled down Danny's face, he staggered forward as he sensed his own impending death. Drawing his KA-BAR Combat knife, he cut the bonds on the women and release their Gags. Since he was dying anyways, Danny studied the bodies of all three women intently

One was tall, fairly pale, and had dirty blonde hair flowing to her back. She wore aqua blue robes that covered her chest and everything below very well and were kept up by two shoulder straps. She had some strange ear-rings on, which complemented her striking blue eyes very well. She wore a concerned expression as she looked at Danny.

The other grown woman was slightly taller than the first, and much different in appearence. Her robes were dark black, with occasional shades of purple, and left very little about her body to the imagination. Her hair was every bit as long as the first, but her hair was strangely white. Her expression was a grave, examinatory one as her purple eyes rested on Danny.

The last was a smaller kid, standing about to the bottom of Danny's hip. Her robes covered her full body and seemed the most normal of all three's clothing, being a light red. Her hair was a light brown and reached the bottom of her back just like the first two. Her eyes, a light brown, rested on him with deep worry as she looked at him.

Danny managed to speak now, choking through his wounds "I-I'm C-C-Captain D-Daniel James Aldeen. F-First Marine Force...Recon. Please...please take...my men and my own...take our tags...and get them to the base." The first woman shook her head vehemently and, along with the second, gently lowered Danny to the ground.

Danny lost conciousness then, with the last thing he heard being the faint sound of singing. When he awoke, he immediatly noticed a few things. One, he did not feel desert sand beneath his palms as he had when he passed out. Two, he was, well, nowhere near dead as he once again felt better than ever. Three, he could sense someone watching him.

Opening his eyes, he found the first woman sitting there. Realizing what had happened, Daniel let himself do the one thing he hadn't done since joining the Marines. He cried, and cried, mourning the lives of his Marines. The woman gently placed her hand beneath his head and lifted it up slightly as she sat next to him.

"Your men...why did they do that?"

Surprised by this, Danny looked up at her and said softly, his voice hoarse.

"Because...they are-...were Marines, the best."

"Why did you come to save us?"

"We were ordered to."

She seemed to consider this, and then asked

"Do you know what a Hidden One is?"

Danny hadn't thought too much about this, and shook his head. The woman gave a big, beautiful smile, and said calmly.

"Don't worry, my sisters and I will explain it when you are fully recovered. You'll be staying with us for...awhile, I apologize that we're forcing you into this but the Almighty One demanded it. You were..honorably discharged from the Marines, so you are free to stay, although I don't quite understand the concept of you...Marines...I hope you will explain it to me."

She stood and began to leave, but before Daniel could begin to barrage her with questions, she looked to him and, with that perfect smile intact, added

"I am Goddess First Class, Second Category, Unlimited License Belldandy, Mr. Daniel Aldeen, and I hope we can get along over the coming period of time."

With that the woman, Belldandy she had said her name was, left. Leaving Daniel with many more questions than answers.


	2. Chapter 2 - Denying the Divines

**Chapter Two: Denial**

Captain Aldeen, fully recovered mere hours after he initially awoke, was already planning an escape. Running through his mind were the Marines who would never see their families again, and he knew he didn't deserve to live. Just like always, however, he'd keep moving, because to kill himself would be to dis-respect them by making their deaths worthless. A quick glance around the room, which seemed to be in a distinctly un-military design, confirmed his gear wasn't in the room.

Thanking whatever god did exist, Danny found that they had neglected to take the pistols on his body. Danny was certain these women, or at least the one who called herself Belldandy, had to be insane. After all, she called herself a Goddess. There was no way there was such a thing as a Goddess, and even if there was why would she be on Earth? Giving a slight snort, Danny drew his pistol and opened the door

Standing there, was the woman with white hair and she seemed completely un-surprised to find Danny standing there. Her face seemed almost bored as she leaned on the hallway wall, even as Danny's pistol rested on her head. She smiled slightly, and after sizing him up deemed it fit to speak.

"So, soldier boy is ready to move then? Well, thats fantastic. I hope you weren't planning on shooting us, I'd hate to find out if a hidden one's powers stay on after initial activation."

"What..Powers? Hidden One? Initial Activation? Okay, you all are officially insane, now where is my gear, I'm leaving and I'm doing so now."

"I'm sorry but I can't allow that. The Almighty demanded you stay with us, and I'd rather not get a License suspension."

"_Are these chicks completely off the deep end?_"

Even as Danny thought this, the woman seemed to react, feigning an offended expression and declaring.

"We are not crazy! You just don't understand what we are."

"Wel-..wait a minute did you just read my mind?"

"Well of course I did! I am a Goddess after all, it really isn't that hard."

Now growing scared, Danny took a step back, and then he heard footsteps coming down the hall. The Marine's instincts took over and he whipped out the second pistol, aiming at the footsteps. Keeping one eye on the silver-haired woman, the other glanced over to see it was Belldandy standing there.

"Urd...why is he aiming his weapons?"

"Because, sister dear, he doesn't trust us. I can't say that I blame him either, after all we did just kidnap him and inform him that we're taking him from any life he may have."

This seemed to bother Belldandy and she turned to Daniel, exclaiming.

"I'm sorry! I really didn't want to make you stay here, but the Almighty One was insistent that you stay!"

"_Okay, thats it, I'm sneaking out tonight, 4 A.M , I won't be a part of this insanity!"_

Belldandy reacted to his thoughts this time, saying quickly.

"I am sorry, but I can't let you leave tonight! I know this may not be the best situation, and you have every right to be upset or even to hate my sisters and I, but we trust the Almighty One's judgement."

Daniel blinked in shock, she could read his thoughts too? That would mean that they were telling the truth when they called themselves Goddesses and if they were Goddesses then what was that woman he had killed?

"Wait...so...if you really ARE goddesses...who...who."

Tears began to roll down Daniel's face as he recalled the painful memory, finishing his sentence more quietly.

"Who killed my men?"

The silver haired Goddess, evidently Urd, paused for a second and said

"The Leader of all Demons, Hild."

Danny holstered his weapons then and scooted over so he was against a wall, and then sat down. Drawing his knees to his chest and burying his head in them to cry softly, Daniel waited. Some words that he didn't bother to listen to reached his ears, and he heard one Goddess leave while the other sat next to him.

"I'm sorry about your soldiers...and your younger brother...but they are in a much better place now, I've seen it myself! It's a beautiful place, and they can live in peace there away from all the wars and suffering."

Belldandy's voice reached Danny's ears, piercing his wall of sadness rather well. Danny looked up then, taking some small comfort in this, and bit down on his lip. He wasn't quite sure to react to these words, and so simply gave a small nod. She looked to him and seemed to want to ask something, so Danny pre-empted her.

"What is it...you wanted to know?"

She seemed emberassed that he had noticed and said quickly

"Oh...I was...wondering...could you explain this Marine Corps to me?"

This was a rather odd question, since Danny figured if anyone knew about the Marine it would be a Goddess, but he decided to explain anyhow.

"Well...we are a branch of the United States Military, we're the first ones to fight no matter where in the world it is. We are all expert riflemen, and we go through intense training so we are at our best mind and body. We live by a strict code, Marines respect other Marines and care for them. Loyalty is...very important to all Marines."

Belldandy seemed to ponder this, staring at the Marine Corps emblem on Danny's shoulder, before looking to his face and asking softly

"What does it feel like...when you see Marines die?"

Danny paused, surprise further by this question, but slowly managed to say.

"It feels...horrifying. You get hit by waves of depression and guilt, you wonder why you lived and they didn't. Most of all, you miss them horribly, knowing you won't ever talk to them, laugh with them again. And you know, they left behind a life, friends who'll never speak to him again, wives and husbands who've lost the one they love and kids who may never know their father or mother."

Belldandy seemed to think for a moment, before she began to speak softly

"I understand missing them, and mourning their lost lives, I truly do. However, I do not understand the depression and guilt. You didn't kill them, and they wouldn't want you to be sad or guilty. Thus, isn't it more respectful to them to move on and be happy?"

Danny, who hadn't ever thought of it like that before, began to ponder this. Her words made so much sense, and he wasn't that surprised granted that she was, based on all evidence, truly a Goddess. He nodded his head slightly and looked at her now, taking in her strangely concerned expression. She seemed to sense his confusion that she was worried and she said softly.

"You've got a good heart Mr. Daniel Aldeen, but you don't believe that you do. I've seen the record of your whole life, Mr. Daniel Aldeen. You protected kids from bullys in elementary school and through your whole life. You started working early just to provide more for your family. You never dated, because no girl thought the man who wanted only to be a Marine was good enough. Your heart is pure, Mr. Daniel Aldeen, and the power in your soul is great! You know, later in the day, after we've gotten the chance for you to speak with all my sisters, I've got someone I want you to meet. Someone I know you'll get along with."

With that, she stood and gently helped him up, then had him follow her. When they arrived, he found the other two Goddesses seated already. Belldandy sat next to them on the couch and began to speak.

"Mr. Daniel Aldeen, I know you wanted to know what a Hidden One is, and I want to tell you, so please stay quiet while I explain."

Daniel nodded slowly and let her speak as she pondered how to say it, eventually beginning.

"Some humans are born with a very powerful Destiny. I'm sure you are well aware of what a soulmate is, the one your soul is matched to. Well, sometimes, a Human soul is matched to a Goddess, and this creates a Hidden One. The Hidden Ones are humans with the power of a God within them, only stronger. When fused with the innate power of a Human Soul, the power of a God doubles and even triples, and that is what you are. Mr. Daniel Aldeen, the key to unlocking your power is to find the one you are matched with, so that you may prove it to her and she will unlock your full power. That is quite some time in the future, however, and as I said there is someone you should meet."

With that, she began to sing. It was a beautiful, haunting melody, that seemed to draw Danny in as her sisters, the young child and Urd, joined in. Daniel began to grow worried, then, as he felt something within him. It felt almost like something waking up, and he instinctively glanced down, to find he was glowing again. Only this time, it wasn't faint, it was bright and lit the rather subdued living room with a brilliant blue light. It was then that he FELT something, first as a very warm feeling in his chest, which grew as his combat instincts caused him to face behind him, detecting someone there. Behind him was a tall woman, wearing what seemed to be a white and blue Marine Corps Uniform, with the name tab reading "Eternal Duty". Glaring at her, he identified her to be a brunette with long hair, and she wore a massive smile. She surged forward and wrapped her arms around Daniel in a massive, loving hug. It was then that the song ended and Belldandy spoke softly, saying

"She's been within you your whole life, Mr. Daniel Aldeen. She is your angel, one destined to protect you. More than this, she is a reflection of your true self. You seem confused, if it is because she is a woman, don't worry. It doesn't mean anything, all Angels are women."

The Angel continued to fiercly hug Daniel for a moment before floating back behind him slightly. It was only then that he noticed her wings, extended to either side of her. They were long and primarily white, however they had a gunmetal grey undertone. Turning to Belldandy, he noticed she wore a massive smile as she spoke.

"Her name is Eternal Duty, and she will never leave you so long as you live."


	3. Chapter 3 - Scars of Combat

**Chapter 3: Scars**

**A/N: This chapter will be more Belldandy centric, focusing much more on her feelings and thoughts. I'll be including several of these chapters because of her importance to the plot, and I'm trying to practice writing as a female character for an upcoming project.**

It had been one week since Captain Aldeen had first woke up in the house, occupied only by himself and three goddesses. He had grown to know each of them, although he still didn't truly trust them. Each time he had been on the verge of trusting one of them, allowing them to be seen as a true friend, he would remember the death of one of his men and would essentially go back to square one

Belldandy didn't like the distance their guest kept from herself and her sisters. He helped with chores and had ventured into the small Middle Eastern town occasionally, picking up supplies. He had reluctantly socialized a few times, and Bell had sensed him slowly warming up to them several times, just for his aura to change. Everytime he would socialize, his aura would be mostly orange, with only the lightest yellow tint. Then, however, his eyes would get very wide and his aura would briefly turn a dark black, then a deep red of anger, then cool to an ambivalent grey.

At first, Bell had considered this to be simple trauma overcoming his desire to make friends with herself and her sisters, but she soon realized that could not be the case. That dark black was a rare thing among humans, and for it to appear on a man such as Mr. Daniel Aldeen? These things didn't happen, at least not as often as they had.

It was because of this that she entered Daniel's room on the night after his 7th day at the home. Crouching down, she gently beckoned her own angel to emerge, and so she did. Holy Bell's appearence lit the room with a soft light, and Bell's concern also appeared on her face. However, just as Belldandy began to reach out towards Daniel, to attempt to check him for taint, she was surprised by the emergeance of Eternal Duty.

Daniel's angel seemed tired, and it was obvious something was besieging Daniel's true self based on the tears in her uniform and the un-kempt style of her hair. Holy Bell drifted over and wrapped Eternal in a hug, all the while looking down at Daniel. His aura was not one of a man sleeping peacefully, instead it spoke of horrific nightmares, and it also was made apparent by the way his fists were balled.

Belldandy gently put her hand on Daniel's forehead, while Holy Bell did the same. Eternal lay down next to Daniel and placed an arm protectively around the Marine. Belldandy looked to Eternal then, silently asking permission to directly enter Daniel's head and see what was wrong. In reply to this, Eternal gave a nod, and so Belldandy focused intently on the man's forehead and on his aura, as she was allowed in. As expected, Belldandy felt herself lose control of her body and it fell over, landing on the Marine, and she was soon within the nightmare that was unfolding,

She found herself standing in a huge open plain, and the first thing she noticed was Daniel. He stood alone, holding his rifle tirelessly resisting the waves upon waves of enemies attacking him. She noticed they all seemed to be Taliban fighters, although as a Goddess she knew that was simply the way he personified the negative energies that swirled within him. This nightmare, which was symbolic of his inner war, would be recurring until one side won, and thus far neither was advancing. Belldandy, however, knew how to change this. She wouldn't let Daniel stand alone, and with help she knew he could win.

So, she floated down and landed gently next to Daniel, feeling an assault rifle materialize in her hands as her clothing changed to that of a U.S Marine. This weapon and this clothing were both un-familiar to her, but she had to make due, as it was his mind after all. She began to fire as well, and she heard Daniel say softly

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping you, Mr. Daniel Aldeen, because you need it! You keep trying to fight this back on your own, but you can't Mr. Daniel Aldeen. A demon is using your guilt, amplifying it, and using it to tear you apart. We believe it was buried in you by Hild before her banishment from Earth, and was awakened by the stirring of your Angel. So I'm going to assist you!"

Daniel seemed shocked by this. but the genuine sincerity of her words seemed to have struck him. For a long time, he seemed to be lost in thought as he continued fighting off the fighters, with Belldandy's aid. At last, he looked up at her and said softly

"Well...in that case...Call me Danny, please."

Belldandy considered this for a long moment, before saying softly

"I...believe I can do this."

With that, Daniel began to push forward. His weapon barked and gunned down the fighters, and behind them all a demon could now be seen. The demon's true form would be forever unknown, however, as Daniel's mind had made it look like a Taliban Commander. They still didn't seem to have enough power to reach it, however.

It was then that more figures began to materialize around the duo. The Marine who had fought with Daniel on that night began to appear and help them push forward. More than that, she saw Eternal Duty appear next to Daniel, while Holy Bell appeared next to Belldandy. The pair of angels began to sing softly as Daniel, the Marines and Bell pushed forward, until finally, Daniel reached the demon.

He lunged forward, drawing a pair of combat knives while the demon drew a curved scimtar. It thrust out to impale Daniel, but the Marine dodged to the right and stabbed a knife through the commander's hand. The other stabbed the Commander in the heart, and it dropped down as it died. It was then, that the field began to flower, as the demon died within Daniel's psyche.

Belldandy watched as Daniel sheathed his knife, and walked down to Belldandy accompanied by Eternal Duty. He looked around at the rapidly flowering field of his mind as the Marines began to file away, taking various spots in the field. Daniel watched them for a moment then turned to Belldandy. She was caught by complete surprise when he wrapped her in a hug, and whispered softly

"Thank you for helping to fix me."


End file.
